Murder of Ragsdale and Buchanan, Fannin County, Texas

On the 11th day of May
1885, the most terrible crime that has been committed in Fannin
County, since the days of Indian massacres, was perpetrated about
ten miles south of Bonham. Thomas A. Ragsdale, Sheriff of the
county, and one of the best and purest citizens within her borders,
had in his possession, several warrants for Sam and Eli Dyer, were
charged with theft of horses and cattle in several Indictments, and
who had forfeited their bonds. Learning that the Dyer boys were back
in the county and around home, the Sheriff summoned a posse, and
repaired to the place where they were thought to be. Among his posse
was Joe Buchanan, a middle aged man, with a large family, a good
citizen and a brave man, on whom Mr. Ragsdale could rely for courage
and promptness.

There were about thirty, men in the posse, but the Sheriff only took
a few with him when he went up to the house to make the arrest. Sam
and Eli Dyer, where secreted in an old out-house. The women at the
house denied knowing anything of their whereabouts, and the Sheriff
was forced to search every place thoroughly. He approached the old
out-house, and tried the door. It was fastened. Tom Ragsdale knew no
such word as fear, and never, even while he served as deputy
sheriff, stopped to think for himself or his own safety for a
moment. He threw his shoulder against the door, and it partially
gave way. Through the aperture, Eli Dyer fired at him, the shot
taking effect in his head above, and in front of the ear, and
passing out behind the ear. At this juncture, both Eli and Sam
rushed out of the door, over the wounded and fallen Sheriff, who
gave the former the contents of one barrel of his pistol as he
passed over him. Eli fired again, striking Ragsdale this time, in
the bowels. From this time Ragsdale was powerless to do more. In the
meanwhile, Buchanan had gotten around on that side of the shanty,
and was pouring it into the Dyer boys, when Eli turned his attention
to him. He shot Buchanan down, and followed close after Sam, who was
making good his retreat. As they ran out over the fence, they came
in contact with some of the posse, but Eli, deliberately got one of
their horses and rode him off. He had not gone far, when the men
collected their wits sufficiently to shoot at him. He fell from the
horse, and yielded up his arms. Sam, on foot, ran across a pasture
and into a skirt of timber, a short distance from where the shooting
occured. All of this, took place in much less time than it requires
to tell it.

The news of Ragsdale and Buchanan's death spread over the county
rapidly indeed. In a very short while afterwards, crowds of armed
men were to be seen rushing to the scene of the tragedy. But one
thought occupied them; the capture and need it be said, Revenge for
the dead Sheriff and his faithful friend. Ragsdale died in a very
short while after he was shot, and Buchanan bled to death, before a
surgeon could relieve him.

Sam Dyer was completely surrounded in the skirt of timber and
guarded there all night. The next day the piece of woods was
thoroughly scoured and hunted, but he was not to be found. The
citizens came to the conclusion that he had made his escape during
the night, but all were puzzled to know how he could have done so.

A report was circulated that he had been seen crossing the railroad
just west of Bonham. This, however, proved to be a mistake, for when
the search was given up, where Sam was thought to be, and the men
dispersed, or went to hunt for him in other places, Sam came down
out of a large tree with dense foliage, and made his escape, at
least for awhile. He sat in that tree for forty hours, part of the
time watching a sea of angry faces, and expecting every moment to be
discovered. A few days after Ragsdale's funeral, and while Eli Dyer
was lying in jail, a posse effected Sam's arrest. He was found under
the puncheon floor of an old crib, and when discovered, surrendered
without resistance. He too was safely landed in jail. Talk and
threats of lynching filled the air for many days, but gradually it
subsided, and it seemed for a while that they would be regularly
tried. They employed counsel, and as soon as Eli's wounds would
allow it, they were brought out for preliminary trial. One witness
was examined after which further examination was deferred for a few
days on account of Eli's weakness.

That night the two were taken from jail, one with only his shirt on,
and the other in his under clothes, carried a short distance from
the jail, and swung to a bois d' arc limb, side by side. It is said
that Eli showed a bravado spirit to the last. When Sam begged for
his life, Eli cursed him, and told Lim that "he had lived 'a coward,
to the like a. man."

Public sentiment, upon the death of Ragsdale and Buchanan, was
undivided; and upon the death of the Dyer boys, it was equally
undivided. While a few condemned the manner in which Eli and Sam
Dyer were executed, all were satisfied with the result.

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